Entries in tetons
(11)

I've been back from my annual pilgrimage to Jackson, WY, for a few weeks now. I've had some good days in the Chugach and Anchorage Front Range. More on those later. But I've been meaning to share some images from my two weeks in the Tetons. So, here they are.

I arrived in Jackson at the end of a creepy cycle of deep slab instability. Most of my friends had avoided travelling into the heart of the range for several weeks. Warmer surface temperatures had been working their magic and stabilizing things while recent snowfall had been lacking. I arrived on Saturday afternoon and had immediate plans to get after it with a couple of strong partners the next day. I typically don't recommend coming from sea level and playing at 10,000 feet but conditions dictated otherwise. With only 12 days to play, I needed to make hay while the sun was shining.

The Sliver - Nez Perce, Grand Teton National ParkNormally, when one travels to altitude after living at sea level, it’s best to ease into high-level physical activity. The physiologic adaptations, which allow us to tolerate exercising up high, take the better part of a week to get rolling. Certainly, several weeks are needed to feel strong. But with short vacations, it’s hard to be patient. On my recent trip to the Tetons, I demonstrated a complete disregard for what needs to happen.

After recently getting flamed by a couple of trolls on a popular internet skiing forum, I started thinking about various encounters I’ve had out in the back country over the last few years. I started wondering,…”where’s the love?”

Santa was good to me. For all the missteps I’ve had in Alaska with the rainy summer and dry winter, last week’s trip to the Tetons made the world right. Once again, emotions got the better of me staring out the window of the United flight as I descended into the valley on Christmas morning. Perfect blue bird skies and nearly two feet of fresh snow greeted me when I debarked. I pinched myself.

The previous post high lighted a great day in the Tetons last week with frequent partners Andy Dorais and Nate Brown. In spite of his insane schedule and general sleep-deprived state, Andy always seems to kick out a great little video of his adventures. This one is no different. I'm glad I was along so I can relive the day whenever I want. Enjoy!